


Sunflowers

by lovebarmaid



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Modern AU, Reylo - Freeform, based on a prompt, enjoy, stranger Rey, taxi driver Ben
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:35:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25087750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovebarmaid/pseuds/lovebarmaid
Summary: based off a Twitter prompt by @galacticidiots & @bensolovesreyShe gets into his cab.“Where to?”“I... don’t have any money.”It’s obvious she’s been crying and Ben doesn’t care for strangers but there’s just something about her.“The flowers will do.”She looks up and her eyes are as pretty as they are sad.“So. Where to?”“Far away.”
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 23
Kudos: 46





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by this twitter thread: https://twitter.com/galacticidiots/status/1279659681087176704?s=21  
> all credits go to @galacticidiots and @bensolovesrey  
> enjoy 🥺🌻🚕

🌻🌻🌻

  
“Here. Take these.” 

After rummaging in his glove compartment for a while, he finally finds what he was looking for and passes her the tissue box. The girl doesn’t notice him, her big teared-up eyes glued to the window. Rain keeps banging on his car and droplets race down in thin watery streams. It rains so much his wipers can barely keep up.   
Today started as his usual Friday does. He woke up first thing in the morning and got to work. He always took the first shift at the end of the week, so that he could start his weekend early. He preferred to spend it outside the city, as driving around it for five days straight could be very tiring.  
His customers usually consisted of broody men in suits, elderly ladies with a ton of grocery bags or regular people with bags, who needed a lift to the train station or the airport. On Fridays he mostly encounters the latter, as many students and young people travel back home. So, when he saw her waving towards his car, he wasn’t surprised at all. It was only after she got in and he noticed her tears and lack of luggage, that he realized she wasn’t gonna be one of his regular clients.  
Right now, they stopped at a red light, so he watches her in the rear view mirror. The box is still sitting on his armrest, untouched. Her face is still wet. He sighs.

“They symbolize joy”, Ben murmurs as he steals a quick glance at the bouquet of sunflowers she payed him with. They’re really full and pretty, and as far as he knows - a very expensive type, but that’s not the reason he agreed to take them. From the moment he saw them he knew what he needed to do later and her unusual offer has only made it easier.

He knew a ton about the flowers from his childhood. His mother ran a bouquet shop before they moved. She then left the family business to her brother, who didn’t seem to appreciate their legacy enough and sold it for probably less money that Ben had to put in his car. And that is, each time he dropped by the auto shop. Ben sometimes wishes they didn’t have to leave his hometown. He wanted to stay, he always did. He also wishes his mother had gave up on her dreams of a picture perfect family before she decided to abandon their flower farm and chase his father in hopes of another chance for a normal life. Ben wishes and wishes, but none of it ever came true. The reality is that right now he can barely afford a shitty place by the trailer park and earns his living driving around this awful city. He didn’t become a poet or a teacher, nor did he ever get the chance to continue to grow his family’s legacy. He was left with memories and regrets, nothing else.

The girl, however, didn’t seem to appreciate his extent knowledge.

“Well, they sure aren’t joyful for me,” she snorted and finally grabbed one of the tissues. She began to slowly dab at her face, careful not to mess up the rest of her makeup. 

“What about loyalty?”

Their eyes met in the reflection. He didn’t anticipate hers to be so green. If he was to forget about the smeared up mascara and her runny nose, he would have realized what she had was in fact a very beautiful face. Her eyes were big and cat-like, a shape very unusual but oh so endearing. They sure didn’t match the rest of her fine features. Her small, pointy nose and thin pale lips were surrounded with delicate freckles, scattered around her pretty face. Ben was pretty positive he could fall in love on spot. That is, if she wasn’t a random girl he just picked up on the side of the street. 

His question was left hanging in the air. She stayed silent and only answered him when they stopped at the next crossing. A single syllable left her mouth. “No.”

Ben took the cue and decided not to dwell on it. Not everyone was a fan of hearing about different meanings of flowers and Ben was very well aware of that. He instead tried to deflect the topic of their conversation. 

“What flowers do you like, then?”  
  
Her shy smile was so unexpected he almost drove straight into someone’s bumper.  
  
“Potted plants?”, she chuckled nervously. “But are those even real flowers...”

He was so shocked by the sudden change of her mood. It wasn’t a drastic one, but she finally stopped staring out the window with this distant look.  
  
“Of course!”, he laughed with her. Her eased up attitude encouraged him to go on. “Why plants, though? Why not... err... I don’t know... roses?”

Her nose scrunched up at the mention of red flowers. But she quickly shook her head and that blank expression once again fell on her face. Just like that, all of her previous enthusiasm was gone. She didn’t say anything and he began to regret ever bringing up this topic. But then, after few moments of baffled silence, her voice snapped him out of his negative thoughts.  
  
“Because they stay longer.” 

Her eyes were searching, yearning for understanding and something else he couldn’t entirely grasp on. But nonetheless, he understood what she meant. And she seemed to know that, too.

The now comfortable silence fell upon them and soon Ben found himself driving in circles. When he passed the same bridge for the third time, he cleared out his throat. That caught her attention.

“Look”, he had a hard time speaking up like that. Nonetheless, he continued. “Since you’re not one of my usual clients and my shift is almost over, how about we go where I need to go and then we can figure out the rest?”

The girl studied his profile very closely. It’s not like she had a choice, really. Ben doubted anyone else would agree to take her in without any money. That, along with her not giving him the address was suspicious enough.  
Ben wasn’t big on fashion. You didn’t need to be familiar with him to know that. Taking a one quick glance was enough. I mean just look at him - rumpled up pants, a shirt and a hoodie. He obviously never hung out with the cool kids.  
The girl, however, seemed to know precisely what she was doing each time she had entered the mall. She had a black leather jacket on, and it wasn’t one of those fake ones. Ben knew very well what real leather looked and smelled like, especially on a rainy day. His father never parted ways with his old jacket. This one was way fancier than his father’s scruffy looking ensemble, though. It was studded along the hemline and embellished with little crystals on top. Her dress was simple, yet made out of high quality material. The way it hugged her slim frame and was draped around her knees told him this must’ve been an expensive piece. All of that and the fact she was wearing tall heels in the middle of a stormy day made him realize he wasn’t dealing with a typical young girl living in a big city like this. No, this girl wasn’t counting her pennies till the end of a month. She wasn’t dieting on microwaveable meals and living with three other friends in a crappy student apartment. At least that’s the expression he got from the smell of her perfume.  
However, she didn’t have a purse. She got into his cab with just the flowers and an umbrella. So who was this girl? Walking down the city streets with tears in her eyes and a bouquet of sunflowers in her hands?

Ben would lie if he said he didn’t want to find out.

“Sure. You’re the boss”, she crossed her legs and gave him a shrug. Ben swore he could hear the gears shifting and working in his head. This girl was a true puzzle. Where did she come from? Who was she? What were her days like? What did she eat for breakfast? His cheeks began to feel warm. He really shouldn’t be thinking like that of a complete stranger. Even if the stranger was absolutely gorgeous and sitting in his car. 

They were already on the outskirts the last time they spoke and by the time he turned around to take a quick peek at her, they were out on a highway. “I’m sorry, but aren’t you afraid to just drive off to whatever place with a complete stranger?”  
The moment the question left his mouth he realized how stupid it must’ve sound like. A cold shiver ran down his spine as he anticipated her answer.

“You’re a taxi driver”, she deadpanned.

“Yeah, well...”, she had a point. Still, the fact she was acting so reckless didn’t sit right with him. She could’ve ran into some pervert and as far as he knew, the cab drivers community was full of those creeps. Not knowing what to say, he made a smart decision to keep his worries to himself. All this time she watched him with this completely unbothered and unamused look.

“You don’t strike me as the kind of man I shouldn’t trust”, she finally mused. “So, no, I’m not afraid. But- ” she then leaned forward and rested her chin on top of his seat, so that her face was right next to his. “I could ask you the same thing, taxi guy. Aren’t you afraid of taking in complete strangers? Especially the ones who don’t have any money nor do they give you any address?”

Ben tried his best to remain calm. He didn’t expect to have her whispering in his ear like that just yet. All this time he was thinking of her as a potential victim. He didn’t even consider it could be the opposite...

“No, I like helping people”, his voice only wavered a little bit. “And you looked like you needed some help.”

She says nothing to that and freezes, watching him from over his shoulder like a hawk. He grips his steering wheel a little stronger than it is necessary.

“I’m Kira”, her slender hand wraps around his. Despite the weird position they’re in, they somehow manage to shake hands.

“Ben.”

She sighs and falls comfortably in his backseat.

“Well, Benny boy. Let’s see what business you got to attend to.”

🌻🌻🌻


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben is a taxi driver. Her name is Kira. She payed him with flowers, or so he thought. What can go wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> um, I certainly didn’t plan to continue this story 🥺
> 
> but all of you are such sweethearts and I’ve been absolutely drowned with your love and kind words so here it is ❤️
> 
> hope you enjoy 🌻💋

🌻🌻🌻

  
Ben often found himself doing things he absolutely regretted ever thinking of. Like that one time he thought I’d be a great idea to freshen up his apartment and immediately wanted to stop the moment his paint brush touched the wall. Or when he tried to have a tomato plant - once he set the pot on his balcony he realized they will never grow because all of his windows faced north and that is way too little sunshine.   
Or now, as he was driving to his old hometown to see his mother with a complete (and frankly, not so friendly) stranger in the backseat. Was he stupid? Yeah, probably. It could’ve been because of his father, though. Han didn’t know how to shut his mouth and he didn’t think too much before he spoke. Maybe it was a some sort of family condition? Only it was passed on to Ben with a slight modification, so he only did stupid things and almost never voiced the ideas that led to them in the first place.

The girl, Kira, got very curious as they got off the highway and entered one of the local roads. She watched as the landscape switched from fields and meadows to small forests and finally, to the countryside. It wasn’t long before she asked, “Where are we going?”

Ben slowed down and rolled one of his windows to let the fresh air in. He took a deep breath and smiled when the thick smell of pines and amber hit his nostrils. He took his sweet time before answering.

“Home”, he finally mused and took a turn that lead to his city.

🌻🌻🌻

Had Rey known today would led to this, she would’ve never gotten up in the first place. It all started very well, though. When she woke up a postcard was already laying on her dresser. She took a long bath, ordered a breakfast and lazily got to work. Then the dress came. That was suspicious, but she let it pass. Even so she precisely told them to get her at least a jumpsuit, as her usual clothes were that much out of question, she knew they weren’t that keen on fashion. However, when the maid brought into her room a whole miniature wardrobe, she knew this job wouldn’t be like any other afternoon errand.   
She should’ve known better. She should’ve left when she still had a chance to pack her things and escape safely.

Right now she was penniless and practically naked, since the clothes she was wearing didn’t even belong to her. She needed to change her outfit as soon as possible and this weirdo was driving her around the country.

Come to think of it, what kind of man agrees to do that? Maybe he isn’t getting payed enough. Based on the looks of him and his car she can imagine he barely has money to get by.

Rey wasn’t judging. She just wanted to sneak out and disappear on first given occasion.

They soon stopped at rail crossing and Ben began to rummage in his glove compartment. Rey didn’t even notice her hands curling into fists.

“Where do you live?” she practically shouted out. He stopped whatever he was doing and turned around to look at her. She took a peek from behind the front seat. In his hand he had a pack of cherry flavored mints. 

Rey let out a breath she didn’t even know she was holding in. So it wasn’t a gun. Thank god. 

“Near the Niima Outpost. In the Jakku district.” 

„Is it nice?”, she quickly retorted. He had this weird face on, as if he was too embarrassed to answer her first question. But then it quickly morphed into a snicker and he let out a bitter laugh. “Ha. Very funny.”

She said nothing to that and continued to watch the landscape. Whatever. She tried to be nice and as per usual with men, she didn’t get nothing good out of that. But the silence soon started to nag her and fiddling with a ruffle on her dress didn’t ease her anxiety for too long. She soon found herself asking the same question. “Where are we going, again?”

“To my mother’s”, he sighed. “And then to see my uncle.”

Rey snorted and Ben shot her a doubtful stare. “Got more family you wanna visit?”

When the answer didn’t come, she shrugged and decided to no longer pay him attention. 

🌻🌻🌻

They finally arrived at the dreaded location. He could feel Kira’s eyes burning two holes into back of his skull. She probably was expecting some sort of explanation. He bit his tongue, grabbed the bouquet and exited the car. He opened her door.

Her eyes widened at him. She looked surprised, to say the least.  
“Sorry, but I’m not going to leave you inside”, he explained patiently and waited for her to get out of her seat. Thankfully it stopped raining, so he didn’t have to worry about the fact they would have to share her umbrella. 

They walked down the alleys in complete silence and the unspoken question hung in the air between them like an invisible border. 

He finally stopped. Ben couldn’t help but smile at the sight of his mother’s grave. 

Rey was bewildered, to say the least. “I’m... sorry, I’ll give you a moment.” She mumbled a quick apology and walked off, leaving him alone. After she was out of his earshot she yelped and sat down on a cold stone bench. First of all, walking down the graveyard in heels was by far one of the stupidest things she’s ever done. Two - who the fuck was this guy? What kind of weirdo do you have to be to drive all in the middle of a job to see your dead mother? And take your client, a complete stranger there with you?  
She watched him in horror as the kneeled and brushed off the dry leaves off her grave. He then began to work on the sunflowers, snapping each stalk in half and putting them one by one in a vase. Strangely enough, watching him do that helped her to calm down a bit. This hunk of a man was surprisingly delicate while handling the flowers. She only hoped there wasn’t any blood left on them. 

After he was done decorating his mother stone, he stood up and didn’t move for quite some time. Was he praying? No, people don’t do that standing... or do they? Rey seriously didn’t know. She decided to look away as staring began to feel rude. She clicked her heels together and tried her best to focus, and given the circumstances she found herself in, that was nearly impossible to do.

“Okay, breathe”, she thought. “You don’t know where you are or who you are with. All you know is that his name is Ben, he has a dead mother and is a complete weirdo. You’re in the middle of nowhere, sitting in graveyard and waiting till you fucking knight in shining armor finishes whatever he’s doing. Right, okay. It’s not so bad. It could’ve been worse. We’ve been worse, that’s for sure.”

Rey begins to think she must’ve made a mistake somewhere between exiting the hotel suite and entering his cab. Could she... no, that was impossible. She glanced at the man in question.

... was he the wrong guy? 

Just then, he turned around and their eyes met. She gulped. Ben took long strides in her direction and Rey felt the sudden urge to jump up and run, far away.  
Right where she was supposed to be.

“Are you okay?”, he nervously quipped and sat down next to her. Rey imagines her face must’ve told him everything he needed to know.

“Yeah”, she breathed and smiled at him. The grimace even didn’t reach her eyes. “Which alley is your uncle in?” 

  
🌻🌻🌻

Surprise, surprise - turns out, his uncle is alive. Maybe that’s the man she was supposed to meet? Rey actually can’t wait to drive to his place. Maybe it all was just a stupid test. Maybe he’ll pull up to the place she saw in the pictures earlier this morning and all of her worries will eventually go away. Soon they’ll pick her up and move her to another point. 

Unfortunately, as Rey had found out, that wasn’t the case. They stopped at some sort of farm and this time, Ben let her stay in the car. He of course took the keys out of ignition. As if starting this piece of junk was any harder than picking a simple lock. 

Rey sighed and scratched her naked knee. She really needed a quick change of clothes. Strolling through whatever Jakku was dressed like that wouldn’t exactly help her to stay low. And she guessed that for now, that was her only option for survival.

🌻🌻🌻

“Okay. Where to, now? Can I leave somewhere on my way to Jakku? How about Takodana? You could take subway from there to get to the city center.”

Rey blinked at him a few times.  
“I... I’m actually not from around”, she tried. Maybe the guy was just really clueless? Maybe he didn’t know what she would look like...? Or maybe he forgot what his job was?

“Oh, okay. So Coruscant it is?” He started the car and nodded happily.

Rey froze. Was he mad? Coruscant? If she goes back to the district the hotel was in she’ll be dead before the sunset. She shook her head so violently her earrings almost fell out. 

“No...? No Coruscant?” Ben watched her in the rear view mirror and his face dropped. He finally stopped the car. “Listen, I don’t know who you are or what is your... thing”, he explained as he turned around in his seat. He looked like he was annoyed. “But you need to tell me where to drive you back. I don’t want any money, don’t worry. Just give me the address.” He finished with what was a genuine smile of concern.

Rey watched him with horror. Either he really didn’t know who she was or he wasn’t right in his head. But it was in this moment that she realized, she really was in trouble. 

“I already told you. I don’t know”, she tried once again but it only made him more confused. Rey started to feel hot tears prick at her eyes. 

“Kira. I’m not kidding”, he warned her and in that moment she wished she had at least a blunt knife on her. She quickly scanned the car. The seatbelt. She could choke him with the strap. Provided he isn’t really as strong as he is tall. 

“I told you I’m not from around!” She yelped at that surprised him even more. Slowly after, that she saw recognition on his face.

“Wait... so you don’t live here?”

She nodded, because she was afraid if she was to open her mouth, her voice would crack.

“And you don’t want to go to the train station..? Or the airport?”

She shook her head. Ben leaned back in his seat and scratched his head. After a while, he asked another question.

“Am I correct driving you to the police station is out of question, too?”

She almost let out a shriek at that. He held up his hands in defense.

“No worries. I’m not a snitch. Just making sure whether you want their help, that’s all.”

They stayed like that for quite some time. Ben rubbed at his chin, seemed lost in his thoughts and Rey pulled at her jacket straps. She hated to admit she was absolutely dependent on this guy’s mercy. What will he do? She wondered if he will tell her to get out and leave. Honestly, she wouldn’t blame him. If things were the other way around she’d probably do the same. 

His cheerful voice snapped her out of his thoughts. Rey stared at him in disbelief.

“Are you hungry? Cause I’m starving. Let’s go get something to eat, hm?”

  
🌻🌻🌻

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> find me on Twitter @lovebarmaid
> 
> don’t forget to leave a comment 🚕🌻
> 
> kudos make my heart go boom boom ❤️❤️❤️


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it’s official - I no longer am a free woman, as this story completely owns me 
> 
> I’m simply blown away by your feedback 🥺 keep them kind words coming ❤️
> 
> enjoy 🚕🌻

🌻🌻🌻

They sat down at an empty booth and Rey wasted no time in scanning the room. The cafeteria was full with all kinds people which made it easy for both of them to blend into the crowd and disappear. 

Takodana didn’t turn out to be one of those expensive districts Rey usually worked in. The streets were covered in dirt and trash, crooks lingered in dark alleyways and all respectable shops and businesses got closed before 5 pm. Rey took in her surroundings, careful to map out every pawnshop or exchange office on their way here. Anything that involved big money, really. She wasn’t gonna jump a corner shop or a hairdressers. Even thieves had some morals. Rey didn’t know how far Ben’s house was, but she already decided that this was a good place to start. The amount of steel fencing, metal grilles and shutters told her this wasn’t a particularly nice neighborhood. Rey may not be used to such environment but she really wasn’t in position to complain. She needed something, literally anything to begin with.

His gentle voice brought her back to their table. He nudged her with the greasy menu. “Their fries are the best in the world. You should try them.”

Rey doubted this place served anything that could be dubbed the best in the world but, to each liking. She quickly went through the card and settled for a burger with the fries. Ben was surprised when she refused to order a milkshake.

“What? Come on, don’t tell me you only dip them in ketchup”, the offense in his voice was hysterical. For real, who was this hunk of a man, eating like a 5 year old?

“Milkshake is a dessert, fries are a sider. There’s a reason why they’re separate meals”, she retorted and glanced at the bar. Several man were hunched over the counter, staring at the bottom of their glass with cigarette buds between their lips. Oh, how Rey longed for a quick smoke. 

Ben was humored by her comment. “Do you always follow the rules?”

“No”, after a while, she smiled softly and leaned back. “But I try my best to stay in line.” 

Ben watched her, his eyes glistening in the low light of the cafeteria. If she were to guess, she’d mark his stare under affectionate. 

“Tell me something about yourself.”

“Why?”, she couldn’t hide the surprise in her voice.

“Because I’m curious”, he chuckled. He then added in a deeper voice. “You’re very mysterious, Kira.”

She shrugged, refusing to pay any attention to the tone of his words. “Maybe it’s for the best.”

“Aw, come on! I’ll let you have my shake if you tell me”, the playful mood he was in was slowly staring to get on her nerves. Rey scrunched her nose in disgust. “I don’t want your shake.”

“What do you want then?” he mused and Rey could easily come up with some interesting ideas he certainly didn’t expect.

Money. 

Safety.

A gun. 

“A place to crash?” She tried with what was a cheeky smile. Ben nodded and didn’t seem to give her answer too much thought. 

“Okay”, he quickly agreed, which wasn’t surprising. Rey knew all men wanted could easily be summed up in three words, but chose not to list it. She instead focused on the next thing he said. “But you have to answer three of my questions first.” 

Rey wanted to laugh. Oh, how typical. “Two.”

“Deal.” 

Again, she wasn’t surprised whatsoever. She slowly strummed her fingers on the table and braced herself for his first shot. As it turned out, it wasn’t anything she anticipated.

“Where are you from?”

Easy. “Nowhere.”

“Kira,” he tilted his head with annoyance. The smile never left his stupid mouth. “No one’s from nowhere.”

“Does it matter?”

“Well, no. But it’s something we could start with.”

Now it was her turn to be annoyed.

“Korriban.”

“Where’s that?”

“Southwest,” she grabbed one of the fries that have just arrived on their plates. Rey took a bite and chuckled. “And now you’re out of questions.”

Ben didn’t seem to be disappointed. He only nodded and moved his plate to the side. He dipped one of his fries in the pink milkshake “Shame. Was gonna ask what your favorite movie is.”

She wanted to laugh at that. Their dinner began to slowly resemble some kind of nightmarish date.  
“What, you’re some kind of cinephile?”

“No,” his laughter had a pleasant ring to it. “But it tells a lot about a person.” 

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously before she took a big bite of her burger. “Don’t people usually ask about profession, age or their relationship status?”

“I don’t think any of those things is worth discussing.”

“Is it because you’re not proud of any of those things?”

She must’ve guessed, because he worked his mouth for quite a while even though there wasn’t any food to chew on. He finally shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not.”

So, that was definitely a yes, Rey thought. They began to eat their burgers in silence but it didn’t last too long. Even though Rey didn’t care too much about the guy, he was in fact about to give her shelter for the night after he’ll pay for her food, so it only seemed proper to show at least some form of gratitude. 

“ What is your favorite movie, Ben?” She stole one of his fries and dipped in his milkshake. That’s what girls are supposed to do, right? Ben perked up at her question.

“Dead Poets Society.”

My god. Not only is half of his family dead but he also likes to watch movies with death in the title? She might actually get along with this guy. 

“Well,” she didn’t have too much to say about his choice. At least nothing that was nice. So instead she settled for some truth. “I’m not really keen on movies.”

He swallowed a big chunk of bacon before he asked her: “What are you keen on, then?”

Rey raised one her eyebrows and smirked “That’s a question.”

“Okay...”, he seemed to recognize the challenge in her voice. “I think a girl like you likes to... read books.”

“Mishit.”

“Listens to music?”

“Only what’s on the radio.”

“Watches tv?”

“Don’t have time.”

“Damn”, he laughed humorlessly. “Then I have no idea.”

Again, maybe it’s for the better,” she thought. Tomorrow morning you’ll wake up and hopefully forget you ever met me.

🌻🌻🌻

He sets the keys on a wooden dresser and tells her to wait. Rey doesn’t listen and follows him to what she guesses is a living room. Ben flicks the lights on.

The room is... cramped. Smaller than she expected. There’s a sofa, a coffee table, a tv on top of a bookshelf, two windows, a kitchenette with only two chairs near the countertop and plants. Lots of plants. One day he’s gonna get eaten by them. 

“It’s very... green” she notes as she struggles to take her heels off. Rey already left her jacket in what you could call a hallway, provided you’ve never seen one. Ben chuckles nervously and drapes his hoodie over the kitchen counter. He goes straight for the fridge. “Would you like something to drink?”, his question is accompanied by the gentle pop of his beer bottle cap.  
Rey thanks him and asks to instead use the bathroom. He points at the door on the left. Rey all but runs to it. She locks the door.

“Holy shit, okay”, Rey tries to calm down as she looks around the white tiled room. She’s not searching for anything specific, just a simple object to keep at hand and feel somewhat safe. She opens the cabinet and rummages through the various bottles. No scissors. No nail files. No nothing. 

Fuck me.

She’s not going to try and defend herself with a fucking toothbrush!

She checks for the loose screws behind the toilet bowl and under the sink. Not a single nut or a washer can be found that’s not tightened. 

Rey flushes the toilet and squats in front of the sink. Maybe he keeps some tools under here?

No. Only rags, bottles of detergent and a single bucket.

She gets up and looks at her reflection in the mirror. Her skin is dull and pale, her eyes puffy and there are prominent dark circles under them. She stars pulling at her face. She desperately wants her skincare back. She needs a drink and a smoke and a gun on her hip. Instead, she gets an army of sinister plants, an old dusty couch and a night at a 30 year old man’s house that is apparently obsessed with death. Great. Fuck her life.

🌻🌻🌻

She exits the bathroom with a fake smile and one more mental breakdown on her account. Ben has just finished making her bed.

“You’re probably tired”, he patted the pillow and walked over to the other side of the room. “If you need anything just tell me. This is my bedroom.”

She nodded and watched him in silence. He must’ve began to feel really awkward. 

“Yeah, okay”, he clapped his hands and pointed at the door he was standing by. “I’m gonna go now.”

She nodded once again, completely unbothered by his obvious uneasiness. Was he waiting for something? Oh, come to think of it, he probably was.

“Thank you.” 

He finally relaxed and smiled at her. “You’re welcome, Kira. Goodnight.”

She laid down on the couch and waited until all of the lights in the apartment went out. He must’ve been reading for the past half hour as he made no other sound apart from the quiet coughs and grunts.

Rey fiddled with the edge of the blanket he gave her. She realized with horror she didn’t even know what hour it was. All this time she was so preoccupied, trying to figure out what has she gotten herself into, that she completely forgot about time. Were they already looking for her? Probably. She got into his cab around noon, so they probably realized something was off around 2 pm. 

How many were send to bring her in? Rey doubted she’s ever met more than half of people that worked for them. Rey also doubted that they will ever believe her it all was just a simple error. 

People like her were expected to make no mistakes. The ones that involved taxi drivers (or in that matter - any civilians) were dealt with in a very particular way. Rey shivered. She wasn’t scared, though. She’s gotten away with much worse stuff. Deep down she knew she was too precious and valuable for them to lose her over such... nonsense.

Only thing was, she didn’t really want to be found.   
  


🌻🌻🌻


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> listen.
> 
> I don’t know what to tell you.  
> enjoy 🌻🚕

🌻🌻🌻

  
To Rey’s dismay, Ben wasn’t a heavy sleeper. She almost woke him up when she went to the bathroom and started going through his dirty clothes bin. The mornings were cold and she sure as hell wasn’t gonna parade around Jakku in a leather designer jacket. She could however try to trade it, but she doubted this place was full of high-end fashion enthusiasts. She’ll have to stick to her plan.

She soon fished out a moderately long shirt and tried in on. Rey could barely make out her reflection in the dim light, but she guessed no matter what she was gonna wear, her butt will be kinda just... hanging out there. Ben was build like a fucking brick house and there was absolutely no way any of his pants were gonna fit her. She sighed. The shirt ended right in the middle of her thighs. She looked like a child.

A look that certainly doesn’t do too much to help when robbing someone. 

On her way out she remembered his red hoodie. She snatched it off the kitchen counter and put it on.

Okay. Now, the shoes.

Holy fuck, how is this man even real? Her size 6 feet were lost in the dark abyss of his Nike’s. She could try and lace them up but still, she doubted she’d capable in them of anything that wasn’t a duck strut.  
Rey went back to the bathroom and stuck some of the dirty socks in each shoe. Now she at least stood a chance to not loose all of her teeth the moment she’ll try to walk in them. 

Rey hid all of her jewelry in the pocket. She’ll try to sell it first. Violence was always an option, but once you hit someone they’re no longer so eager to trade with you.

She tried the door. Of course he shut it and took the key out. Rey wasn’t gonna try and waste time looking for it. She also didn’t want to open it herself and thus ruin the guy’s locks. He suffered enough on her expense. 

Instead, she went out the window. The cold morning air hit her bare legs first. Rey shivered. “Fuck my life”, she mumbled quietly as she walked down the dark alley. Money first, she decided. Then, some proper pants.   
  


🌻🌻🌻

It turns out that in Jakku, pawn shops were open almost 24/7. Rey was reminded of the Canto Bights casinos and lounge parlors that also refused to ever close up. And why would anyone want to do that? If there was a demand for a service only a fool wouldn’t provide one. Rey ignored the whistles and cat calls that were thrown under her address. Money. You’re here for the money, she remembered. 

She looked up on the display window. The sign read “Unkar’s Pawn Shop” and was so dirty she could barley see in. Nonetheless, the lights were on. Rey brushed her hair back and put the hood on. She knocked on the door a few times. 

“ Hello? Excuse me, sir” her voice was sweet and innocent. “I think I’m lost! Can you please help me?”

She heard a loud thud and heavy steps. Oh, this one was gonna be a fatty.

Rey braced herself against the door and waited until he grabbed the knob. When she saw him, her smile almost dropped.

“Hi. Can I come in?” she somehow managed to croak out. The man was huge. Obese. And overweight. She’d need a horse and a whole ass carriage to knock him down.

“What do you want?”, he grumbled and eyed her up. His stare lingered on her legs a little too long for any girl’s liking. 

Rey decided it was time for plan B. She shook the pocket with her jewelry. “I asked around and they said you’re the only one who could help me.” She batted her eyelashes and when he smiled, she felt she could puke on spot. 

“What ya got there for me, doll?”

“The good stuff”, she smirked.

Unkar pondered only for a moment. He then asked, “Are you alone?”

When she nodded, he finally moved to the side. “All right. Come on in.”

  
🌻🌻🌻

Less than five minutes after he let her into his shop, she had her pockets full of cash and a gun pointed at his ugly face. The man yelped. “Please. I have children!”

Rey was surprised it all went so well. She’s not sure whether it proves her point that women are superior or that this one is just a pussy, but she won’t dwell on it for too long. All that matters is that she got everything she wanted. Well, almost everything. 

“I don’t want you children. What time does the nearest clothing store open up?”

“S-shit, I don’t know... 9am?”

Rey glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost 6 am and she wasn’t gonna sit here and wait for three hours. “Okay,” she quipped. She hated to do it but it’s not like she had a choice. “What age are your children?”

The man cried out, “N-nooo, pleeaseee...”

Rey rolled her eyes for god knows what time this morning. She cocked the gun at him. “Shut up. What age are they?”

He wiped the snot that was running down his nose. Rey scrunched her face in disgust. “Nine and... and thirteen.”

Oh, I can work with that, Rey thought. “Is the thirteen year old big like you?”

“... w-what?”

She sighed and gestured at him. “Is the kid fat, Unkar.”

His clueless face made her want to laugh. The man really couldn’t piece the facts together. He finally mumbled out, “Ma-maybe...”

Rey kinda regretted taking that route. After all, there was a good reason why she refused to ever get a job that involved children. “Okay. Get up. You live upstairs, right?”, when the man nodded, she continued. “Walk slowly. Hands up so I can see them. Try something funny and I’ll shoot you in the head.”

The man obeyed and began to make his way up the stairs. He almost stumbled a few times. “W-where are we going?”

“To your child’s room.”

🌻🌻🌻

The thirteen year old turned out to be a girl. Rey admits she felt slightly relieved when she saw that his daughter occupied a rather big portion of the bed. 

They stopped in the threshold. She put the gun on his neck. “Now, go where I can see you and bring me a pair of jeans. What shoe size is your daughter? ...you don’t know? God. Okay. Go get me some sneakers. And be fucking quiet.”

Rey rolled her eyes as she watched the man try and enter his daughter’s wardrobe without making a noise. Thankfully, he was quick and soon she was presented with a pair of blue jeans and tattered sneakers.  
“Turn around and lay down on your stomach. Hands where I can see them.” She quickly put the pants on and zipped them up. They surprisingly fit her really well. The shoes were... a tight fit. But she’d much rather squeeze in than have to worry she could loose her shoes each time she took a step.

“If you know how, count to hundred and only then stand up. Try to call the cops and you’ll be dead before they get here.”

“Who... who send you?”, he rasped. Come to think of it, if he stays like that a little longer his heart could potentially give out.

His question surprised her but not enough for her to think of an answer. She put her hood back on before she walked away. 

Once she was downstairs, she treated herself to a military class backpack, a hunting knife and, after a moment of thought, a shotgun. She took one last glance at his desk and snatched the pack of cigarettes. She exited the shop as if nothing happened.

🌻🌻🌻

Rey wandered down the main street of Niima Outpost and looked around for an open shop. She needed to stock up on some food and water before she’ll head out. She had enough money to last her for at least few weeks. Besides, she could still just go and trade her jewelry. 

She quickly realized that apart from Unkar’s and few other liquor shops, nothing has opened yet. She could just go and find a nearest gas station, but she reserved shopping in such places only for dire situations. Besides, she wasn’t stupid. She knew they had all eyes and ears on her.

So, Rey found a little nook between the buildings and hid there. She took out the pack and lighted one of the cigarettes. The moment the smoke filled her lungs, she sighed with relief. She haven’t done that in a long time. Rey found smoking extremely relaxing. It helped to ease her anxiety and clear out her head. Soon, she found herself nibbling on one of her fingers. If she just...

Wait.

Rey froze.

The faint sound of a quiet conversation in the distance suddenly hit her at once. This tone on voice... it sounded familiar. 

Rey quickly put out the butt and pricked up her ears. She was pretty positive that right now, in that moment, she would hear a needle drop on the opposite side of the street. 

The echo of the chatter traveled through the brick walls and soon Rey could clearly make out what the man was saying. 

“... I already told you, this won’t take long... no, I’m not by myself... are you kidding me? why the fuck would I want to lie about that...”

Rey held her breath. Her heart felt like it was about to jump out of her chest.

“ ...she can’t be far, we’re in the one mile radius... I told you, the jacket chip was a good idea... yeah, me neither... no one expected she’d do that...”

She knew very well who this voice belongs to. Nonetheless, the urge to see him with her own eyes was stronger that any common sense. Rey took a peek from behind her hideout. He was standing with his back facing her direction. 

Rey almost yelped. She’d recognize that vest anywhere. 

Suddenly, it all became a blur. Blood started pumping through her veins and when the adrenaline kicked in, she was already on her feet.   
When running away from someone, the most important thing to remember is to in fact, do everything, but run. Rey’s feet however seemed to know better, and she was practically bouncing off the pavement. She needed to go, to get away from here as fast a she can...

Hold on. Did he say... jacket?

Rey suddenly remembered Ben, his apartment, the couch he let her sleep on and all of the kindness he’s shown her. If it wasn’t for him, she’d be long dead. And now, he was alone in his apartment, absolutely clueless to what was about to happen. She left the jacket on his floor. They must’ve put something in it, to trace her. Fuck. She knew the sooner she’ll get rid of it, the better. But Ben. He didn’t know what was coming. If they were about to find out where he lives... she once saw what their raiding methods are. Rey shivered.

She quickly decided she couldn’t leave him like that. That didn’t sit right with her. You don’t betray people who helped you, even if at the moment they didn’t know what they were doing and it was all just a mistake.

She cornered the building his apartment was in and hoped it wasn’t too late.

🌻🌻🌻

Ben slept like a log. He seriously cannot remember the last time he didn’t wake up in the middle of night. Having seen several doctors in hopes to treat his insomnia he seriously gave up. No amount of pills, herbal teas or meditation could help him. And then one day he meets a random girl, lets her sleep on his couch after driving her around the city and suddenly, he sleeps that night like a baby.

He sits up and stretches. He’s about to look for a shirt to put on, so that his guest doesn’t have to watch him half naked, when he notices something strange.

How did he wake up again? Ben glances at his clock. There’s still some time till 8 am. So it wasn’t the alarm that made him get up. 

He looks at his balcony once again. He isn’t sure if it’s his mind playing tricks on him or whether he’s still asleep. Either way, someone is poking at his window. And it’s definitely not the neighbor’s cat.

He stands up, the fact that he’s nearly naked completely forgotten and opens up the balcony door.

Kira practically pounces inside and shuts the door right back. He blinks.

“The living room window looks out the street”, she explains and storms into the bathroom. Ben follows her.

“Did I wake you up?” she guesses and begins to pack his medicine. 

Ben’s mind slowly adjusts to the situation. The last time he saw her she was sitting barefoot on his couch in a dress. That was last night. Right now, she is emptying his bathroom cabinets, dressed in his burgundy hoodie and the old shirt he wore last week. He completely skips the jeans and sneakers (where did they come from?) and instead focuses on the shotgun that pokes out her backpack. Ben opens his mouth to say something but she interrupts him. “As much as I appreciate the view, you need to get dressed, quick.”

“What are you doing?”

She momentarily stops packing and looks him dead in the eye. “We need to go. Don’t ask why, I’ll explain later.” With that, she walked past him to the kitchen and began to rummage through his drawers. 

“Kira”, he retorted, as the reality began to slowly set it. “What the fuck is going on?”

“Go get dressed and stop getting on my nerve”, she scolded him like he was a noisy child and Ben decided that in fact, putting on some clothes was a good thing to do. He quickly threw on some jeans and a sweater, and just when he was about to close his wardrobe, he noticed his suitcase.

She told him to pack. Why does she want him to pack? And why as he stands there and thinks about it, she’s busy scavenging around his house?!   
What the fuck was going on?!

“Kira!” he stormed out of his room. She was sitting on the floor, counting packets of ammo. His scream scared her, as got up on her legs momentarily with a gun ready in her hand. “Are they here?”, her eyes widened with fear.

“What? Noo... and who’s they?! And what the fuck are you doing, Jesus! Put this gun down!” 

She glared at him as if he wasn’t right in the head and put the weapon behind her back. “Look” she cleared out her throat. “We really don’t have time. I’m trying to help you, so you will you please get your ass together and pack your goddamn bag!? Like I asked you to?!”

He didn’t expect her to lash out on him like that. He also didn’t know what to say and since she didn’t look like she wanted to hear any more questions, he went back to his room and grabbed the suitcase. He frantically began to pack his clothes, his phone and a laptop. He didn’t know why he was leaving or where they were going, and the fact she was parading around with a gun in her pants didn’t help to ease his mind. For once again he asked himself silently, who was this girl?

She ushered him from the hallway.  
“Can you shoot?”, she asked once he was done packing. At first he thought it was a joke, but then he remembered the shotgun, his kitchen knives and the fucking smith&wesson that was poking at her butt. 

“What? No. I mean. Yeah. Fuck yeah”, his hands began to feel sweaty as he watched her doubtful face. She sighed and pointed at the counter. 

“Shotgun’s yours, it’s heavier. Take the bag”, she threw the backpack at him and he almost didn’t catch it. “Shut your mouth and follow me. Be prepared to shoot but take the fucking finger off the trigger when you walk behind me. I don’t need another hole in my ass.”

Ben threw the bag over his shoulder and looked the shotgun that was resting on his kitchen counter. Their whole exchange began to feel surreal. Maybe it was just a dream? Maybe he shouldn’t have been reading that book last night?   
“You want me to shoot someone..?” Ben couldn’t actually believe these words left his mouth. He wanted to laugh, but there was nothing funny in the way she was a staring at him.  
“Kira, what the fuck is going on?!”

Suddenly, her finger was pointed right under his chin. Her face was red with anger as she grit out her next words.

“How many times do I have to repeat I’ll explain later?! You wanna live? Then do as I say!”

🌻🌻🌻

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 🌻🚕🌻🚕🌻🚕  
> feed me with your kudos and comments since water and bread ain’t no longer doing it for me  
> 🚕🌻🚕🌻🚕🌻


End file.
